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Mousepalooza

The house is infested with mice apparently. Last week we had four straight days of baby mice events. And after a week of rest we had another mouse today.

We haven’t caught today’s mouse yet. But the four mice last week were all taken care of. All these mice are on the main level. Not sure why. Maybe they are living in the air vents now. Otherwise they are climbing up from the basement. Three of them showed up at 4:30 to 5:30 AM. The fourth baby mouse was our first confirmed kill. I came home to find it’s twitching body underneath Dixon, our cat. He licked it to death apparently. Probably just wanted to play.

Today’s mouse was in the living room. Daisy, our other cat, chased it around the couch. At one point getting it to jump 5′ straight up in the air out of fear. That mouse is currently under the freezer.

Wait!

The trap just went off!

I had bought another live trap today, along with some smelly things at Lowe’s that are suppose to make mice go away. I also noticed more blue foam in a slightly different place at the back of the house so this must be the new mouse hole. And the steel wool was hanging down near the edge of the siding…they are definitely getting in there. A couple weeks ago we saw a live mouse near the rim joist in the storage room but there wasn’t much we can do about it at the time. Too high up and then it went behind the air exchanger…oh yea..that’s right there’s a mouse in the trap…I forgot.

Dixon is batting at the closed trap.

I pick up the trap…its got some extra heft to it. It’s definitely balanced to one end.

A quick “mouse” text to the wife for backup support. Cats mill about wondering where the mouse went.

Shaking I go out on the porch. I hate mice. They dart around too much. Zero logic and predictability. Defies how I’m wired.

The trap has a spring loaded door. Bare foot, bare hands…I’m ill prepared. I pull the door back and shake. Damn. It barely opens.

I pull the door back and shake. It closes again. This time there’s a tail sticking out at least.

Mouse.

Third times the charm. I’m able to hold door open on trap and shake. Mouse is literally hanging on to the inside of trap for dear life.

Mouse drops to pavement. Limps away.

Bye mouse.

Tools of the trade.

Live trap set up by freezer.

Dixon alerts me to the mouse now under the freezer. It had been under the couch, range and refrigerator.

Both cats watch intently waiting for mouse.

About two hours later mouse emerges, with Dixon waiting. It darts into live trap before being pounced upon. I let it go near the front porch. It limps off.